Composite feather filament material

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the combination of feather fibers or barbs, along with a thermoplastic binder, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, to form a thermally processed composite mat useful in vehicle interior trim and insulation components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to the creation of a new compositeutilizing thermoplastic materials and feather fiber for use in thetransportation industry. The invention is especially useful in creationof a composite mat having light weight, superior acoustical properties,and a low cost.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The bird and poultry rendering industry has had, for a long time,an excess of material leftover from production. Such leftover materialtypically includes bird feathers.

[0005] Additionally, there is a need for materials that are lightweight, economical, use inexpensive base materials, and are strong,moldable, and have high acoustic attenuation characteristics. Industriesthat need such material would include the transportation industry,namely for manufacturing and installation of vehicle's interior trim andinsulation components, and in the building industry for creation ofacoustical insulation panels for home and office, along with otherinterior partition panels. Currently these industries use molded foam orfiberglass composite materials that are costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to the present invention a composite filament materialis created combining various lengths of feather material filaments witha thermoplastic material binder, such as polypropylene and polyethylene.The composite material is thermally or chemically processed to form amat material for subsequent forming. Such material may be molded orformed as needed into a molding or interior trim panel, along with orwithout the addition of vinyl, cloth, or other surface materials invehicle trim applications.

[0007] By varying the ratio of the feather filaments and bindingmaterials, along with the composite thickness, and/or by adding hemp,jute, or other similar fiber components, a thicker mat may be produced.Such thicker mat may be used for insulation, acoustic or sound barrierproducts.

[0008] The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a method of mixingfeather filaments with a thermoplastic material binder to form acomposite material which is thermally or chemically processed to form amaterial mat. The mat may be subsequently molded or formed as neededinto an article, such as a vehicle interior trim panel.

[0009] The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method ofcombining feather fibers or barbs, but possibly including portions ofthe quill shaft, with a thermoplastic fiber binder to form a compositefeather filament material. Such composite material may be formed ormolded into articles such as insulation panels, or other items for thetransportation and building industry.

[0010] One advantage of the present invention is that the compositematerial is lighter than current foam products utilized in thetransportation or building industry for interior trim or insulationcomponents.

[0011] Another advantage of the present invention is that the compositematerial compared to current foam products, have improved acousticattenuation characteristics.

[0012] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that thecomposite material may be useful in vehicles for particular parts, suchas head liners, back panels, wall panels, side panels, door panels,insulation and acoustic barriers, along with stationary engineapplications for sound, vapor, or other barrier type uses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Feathers, the principle cover of birds, are typically of flattwo-dimensional construction. Feathers include a hard tubular quillshaft from one end to the other, with a large number of serially pairedbranches, either barbs or filaments, forming a flattened, usually curvedsurface, the vane, having leading and trailing edges. The barbs orfilaments possess further branches, the barbules, and such barbulesconnect to adjacent barbs which are connectable to one another by hooksthereby stiffening the vane.

[0014] The present invention utilizes the barbs or filaments of thefeathers after they have been removed from the center quill. After suchseparation, barbs or filaments are separated into various size lengths.

[0015] Thermoplastic binders utilized in the present invention includepolypropylene and polyethylene. In other forms of the invention, otherbinders may include styrenes, nitrites, polycarbonates, polytherimides,acrylonitriles, polyesters, polyurethanes, polybutylenes, and/orterephthalate resins. In other forms of the invention similar amorphous,semi-crystalline, amorphous/crystalline blends of polymers, or resinsmay utilized. The actual selection of any particular thermoplastic isdependent upon the end product desired, such that interior trim panelsof vehicles versus sound barriers may necessitate a different selectionof the thermoplastic binder. Additionally, dependent upon the species offeather utilized, different binders or pre-treatments of the filament orbarbs may be needed.

[0016] The combination of the feather fibers, along with a thermoplasticbinder, would typically be combined in a chamber with swiftlycirculating air (in one form of the invention) to ensure entire coverageof the filaments with the binder. Alternatively, simple batch processingof the combination may be utilized. The combined materials may bethermally processed into a mat or other shape that would eventuallyserve as a substrate or molding for forming the desired end products. Analternative to the thermoprocessing (as typically used withthermoplastics) may include a chemical or resin process to adhere orcongeal the product together.

[0017] Of importance in the final product, would be its physicalcharacteristics. The inventor foresees necessitating a particularcritical selections of the fiber filament lengths to create thenecessary features of the composite mat. Fiber lengths betweenapproximately 0.25 inches to 2 inches is foreseen as being utilized inthe invention with a preference to a fiber length of approximately 1inch in length.

[0018] Ratios between the feather fibers and the thermoplastic bindermay range from 1:1 to 1:10 by weight. Alternatively, other ratios may beutilized. The preferred ratio is that of utilizing just enough binder byweight to sufficiently hold the fibers together in their matrix havingthe required physical features of strength and acoustic impedance asnecessitated by the ultimate use or end product.

[0019] After the composite mat has been formed, additionally, othermolding or forming of the composite may be utilized, along withapplication of vinyls, cloths, or other surface material to create astandardized outside surface or appearance. Such finishing outersurfaces would serve well for the composite mats utilized in vehiclesinterior trim applications or panel utilization at home or in offices.

[0020] While this invention has been described as having a preferreddesign, the present invention can be further modified within the spiritand scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended tocover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using itsgeneral principles. Further, this application is intended to cover suchdepartures from the present disclosure as come within known or customarypractice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fallwithin the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite mat comprising: feather fibers; and athermoplastic binder.
 2. The mat of claim 1 in which said thermoplasticis selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polyethylene.3. The mat of claim 1 in which said feather fibers are between 0.25inches to 2.0 inches in length.
 4. The mat of claim 1 in which the ratioof said fibers to said binder is in the ranges of 1:1 to 1:10 by weight.5. The mat of claim 1 further comprising a surface material applied toone side of said mat.
 6. The mat of claim 1 further comprising a secondfiber selected from the group consisting of hemp and jute.
 7. The methodof forming a composite filament material comprising the steps of: mixingfeather filaments with a binder; and molding the mixed composition intoa vehicle interior trim panel.